Tower structure.



J. E. HEAD.

TOWER smucwma.

Patented D60. 18,1917.

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J. E. HEAD.

TOWER STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 22. l9l6.

Patented Dec.18,1917.

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JOHN E. HEAD, or Norma SALEM, MISSOURI.

TOWER STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t nt 1 19 7;

Application filed June 22, 1916. Serial No. 105,246.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. HEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Salem, in the county of Linn and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tower Structures, of

i which the following is a specification.

This invention contemplates an improved tower structure and has as its primary object to provide a tower particularly adapted for supporting a windmill and wherein the said tower will be thoroughly braced against lateral strain. 7

The invention has as a further object, to provide a tower employing a plurality of uprights and wherein a yoke will be employed for rigidly connecting the uprights adjacent the upper extremity of the tower with truss rods extending from the uprights immediately below the said yoke for supporting the uprights laterally and bracing the tower against strain. v

And a still further object of the invention is to provide an arrangement whereinthe truss rods may be adjustably tensioned for. taking up any slack which may occur therein from time to time.

Other and incidental objects will appear as the description proceeds and in the drawings wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved tower particularly showing the arrangement of truss rods employed,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view more particularly showing the mounting of the spacing brackets for the truss rods,

Fig. 3 is a similar view particularly showing the construction and mounting of the yoke connecting the uprights adjacent their upper extremities,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the connection of the truss rods with the base plate of the tower and the type of turn buckle employed for tensioning the said rods, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showmg one of the truss rod spacing brackets detached and illustrating the manner in which the said rods are connected at their inner extremities to the uprights of the tower.

In carrying out the invention, I employ a plurality of stakes or piers 10 which are embedded in the ground and adjacent each of which is arranged a concrete or other suitable anchoring block 11. Connected to the stakes 10, are coacting uprights 12 which converge toward their upper extremities to form a head 13 upon which is seated, a cap plate 14. This plate is adapted to receive the base structure of a windmill as conventionally shown at 15 in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Embracing the upper extremities of the uprights 12, is a reinforcing or constructing yoke particularly seen in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This yoke isformed ofa plurality of rod sections 16 each providedat at the other end to receive a nut 18. The

thereof passed freely through theeyes 17 so that the nuts 18 maybe adjusted for clamp ing the yoke about the said uprights and rigidlyholding the upper extremities there of together. Fitted over the upper ends of the uprights to rest upon the said yoke is a platform 19 upon which, if desired, a person may stand when working upon the wind mill structure 15.

Connecting the uprights 12 adjacent the lower extremities thereof are coacting transversely extending brace bars or slats 20 and fitted between the said uprights adjacent the upper extremities thereof are transversely arranged bracing beams 21. Mounted within the angles between the said beams upon the inner sides thereof, are angle irons 22 and embracing the ends of the beams to fit around the uprights 12, are similar angle irons 23, the angle irons 22 and 23 being connected by a plurality of bolts 24 extending through said beams. The uprights 12 are thus efficiently braced adjacent the upper ends thereof.

Mounted upon the beams 21 to extend laterally from the uprights 12 are outwardly projecting spacing brackets each formed of coacting irons 25 bent laterally in opposite directions adjacent the inner extremities thereof to seat flatly against the outer sides of the angle irons 23 to be secured to the beams 21 by the bolts 24 with the said irons connected adjacent the outer extremities thereof by a bolt 26. Associated with the said brackets are truss rods 27. These rods are formed of pivotally connected sections one end with an eye 17 and screw threaded and are secured to the upper extremities of the uprights 12 by hookbolts 28 extending through the said uprights. As particularly seen in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the uppermost sections of the rods are provided with terminal eyes 29 which receive the hook; 3) of the bolts 28 with the free ends of the hooks embedded in the uprights 12 so that the rods cannot become displaced. The rods 27 are trained over the spacing brackets to be received between the outer ends of the irons 25iof the said brackets with the said rods resting upon the bolts 26. The outer ends of the irons thus form retaining flanges 31 engaging the opposite sides of the rods and coacting with the bolts 26 to provide saddles. for the rods of such construction that the said rods cannot become laterally displaced. At their lower extremities, the rods are bent or otherwise formed with terminal enlargements 32 embedded in the blocks 11 for connecting the said rods with the said blocks.

The confronting ends of the lowermost sections of the rods 27 are screw threaded to receive turn buckles or sleeves 33 and, as will now be clear, the truss rods 27 may be tensioned by properly turning these sleeves for efl iciently bracing the uprights 12 against lateral strains. It will, therefore, be seen that I provide a thoroughly rigid structure forthe purpose set forth and a tower which, while being particularly designed for windmills, may also be used. for various other purposes.

ll avin g thus described my invention, what I; claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A tower structure consisting of a plastic base, a plurality of upwardly converging uprights having their lower ends supported by said base, constricting means extending around the upper extremities of the uprights and securing the adjacent terminals thereof together, beams connecting the uprights. below the constricting means, coacting bracket members secured at their inner extremities to said beams at opposite sides of the respectively adjacent uprights JOHN E. HEAD. [n 3.

@optea oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, Di G. 

